Lesson Plan - Can You Spot Healthy Foods?

Watch a Video: Read the Label
Discuss: What are some important pieces of information you can find on a food’s nutrition label?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• criteria 
• nutrients

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them look for details about the benefits of healthy eating.

1. According to the article, what are processed foods? What are some examples?
The article states that processed foods are foods that have a lot of added ingredients. Some examples are potato chips and frozen pizza.
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2. What does the FDA mean when it says its existing definition of “healthy” is outdated?
The FDA means that the existing definition was created a long time ago, and our understanding of what is healthy has changed a lot since then.
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3. Share two facts you can learn from the sidebar, “Read the Label.”
Sample response: One fact in the sidebar is that a label tells how many servings are in a container. Another fact is that labels give the amount of sodium in food. Experts say kids ages 9 to 13 should limit sodium to 1,800 milligrams per day.
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FEATURED SKILL: Cause and Effect
Use the Skill Builder “Causes and Effects” to have students explore cause-and-effect relationships in the article. 
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